Lobularia plant named &#39;DLOBU24&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Lobularia  cultivar named ‘DLOBU24’ is disclosed, characterized by fragrant, long lasting flowers. The new variety produces a semi-trailing, free branching plant and distinctive bicolor inflorescence color. The new variety is a  Lobularia,  normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Lobularia maritima

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘DLOBU24’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Lobularia cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Gavriel Danziger, in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel. The objective of the breeding program was to produce new Lobularia varieties for ornamental commercial applications. The open pollination resulting in this new variety was made during February of 2011.

The seed parent is the unpatented, proprietary seedling variety referred to as Lobularia maritima ‘AY-11-279’ The pollen parent is unknown as it was an open pollination breeding program. The new variety was discovered in February of 2012 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2011 open pollination, in a research greenhouse in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performed by vegetative cuttings. This was first performed at a research greenhouse in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel during February of 2012 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in many successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘DLOBU24’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘DLOBU24’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘DLOBU24’ as a new and distinct Lobularia cultivar:

-   1. Semi-trailing, habit. -   2. Distinctive bicolor inflorescence. -   3. Freely branching and vigorous plant.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘DLOBU24’ are similar to plants of the seed parent, Lobularia maritima ‘AY-11-279’ in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar

-   ‘DLOBU24’ differs in the following: -   1. Bushier form. -   2. Greater floriferous. -   3. Different flower coloration. -   4. Better heat tolerance.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘DLOBU24’ are comparable to the unpatented commercial variety Lobularia ‘Alyssum Aphrodite Wine Red’. The two Lobularia varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘DLOBU24’ differs in the following:

-   1. Bicolor cream\purple flower; The comparator flowers are magenta     colored. -   2. Longer flowering period. -   3. More trailing plant form. -   4. Larger flowers.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘DLOBU24’ are also comparable to the unpatented commercial variety Lobularia ‘Blushing Princess’. The two Lobularia varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘DLOBU24’ differs in the following ways:

-   1. Semi-trailing and bushier plant. -   2. Larger leaves. -   3. Bicolor cream\purple flower; The comparator flowers are light     purple colored. -   4. Larger flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘DLOBU24’ grown in a greenhouse, in a 13 cm pot. Age of the plant photographed is approximately 10 weeks from a sticking.

FIG. 2 illustrates in full color a close up of a typical bloom of ‘DLOBU24’. The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2001 except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘DLOBU24’ plants grown in a greenhouse during Autumn to Spring in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, Israel. The growing temperature ranged from 18° C. to 30° C. during the day and from 9° C. to 16° C. during the night. General light conditions are high light levels of 60,000 to 90,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Lobularia maritima ‘DLOBU24’ -   Propagation: -   Typical propagation material: Cuttings -   Time to rooting: 14 to 20 days at approximately 16° C. -   Root description: Thin, fibrous, freely branching. Near White RHS     155C in color. -   Plant: -   Age of plant described: Approximately 8 weeks. -   Height: Approximately 14 cm. -   Plant spread: Approximately 40 cm. -   Growth rate: Medium, fast growing. -   Branching characteristics: Freely Branching -   Approximate quantity of lateral branches: Approximately 7-8 primary     lateral branches and numerous secondary and tertiary lateral     branches. -   Length of lateral branches: Approximately 30 cm. -   Diameter of lateral branches: Approximately 0.3 cm. -   Texture of lateral branches: Slightly Pubescent -   Lateral branch shape: Hexagonal in cross section -   Lateral branch strength: Strong -   Lateral branch color: Approximately Yellow-green RHS 144A -   Other stem or plant characteristics: -   Internode length: 2.5 cm (average) -   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Average 25. -   Foliage: -   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape of blade.—Oblanceolate.         -   Average length.—Approximately 3.5-4 cm. (Mature foliage —             6-7 cm).         -   Average width.—Approximately 0.6cm. (Mature foliage — 1.2             cm).         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuncate.         -   Attachment.—Sessile.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture of top surface.—Slightly Pubescent.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Slightly Pubescent.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near Green RHS 137A Young             foliage under side: Near Green RHS 137B Mature foliage upper             side: Near Green RHS 137B Mature foliage under side: Near             Green RHS 137C.         -   Venation.—Indistinguishable from foliage. -   Petiole: No present. -   Flower: -   Bloom period:     -   -   Natural season.—Long lasting flowering period. From March             through December.         -   In commercial production, flowering begins from a rooted             cutting in.—Approximately 4 weeks. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Arrangement.—Panicle.         -   Height.—Approximately 10-16 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 3 cm.         -   Quantity of flowers per inflorescence.—Approximately 65 and             buds of this, 54 open flowers. -   Bud:     -   -   Bud shape.—Globose.         -   Bud length.—Approximately 1.5 mm.         -   Bud diameter.—Approximately 1.5 mm.         -   Bud color.—Near Green RHS 143B.         -   Rate of opening.—Individual flowers: Fully open             approximately 1-3 days from the bud stage. -   Individual flower:     -   -   Type of individual flowers.—Single flower.         -   Shape.—Cross Shaped.         -   Quantity of flowers and buds per plant.—Approximately 65             flowers and buds per inflorescence — more than 6000 flowers             per plant.         -   Diameter of entire flower.—Approximately 0.7 cm.         -   Depth of flower.—Approximately less than 1 mm.         -   Flower longevity on plant.—Approximately 6-7 days.         -   Persistent or self-cleaning.—Self-cleaning.         -   Fragrance.—Sweet, honey like. -   Petals:     -   -   Length of petal.—Approximately 4 mm.         -   Width of petal.—Approximately 3.5 mm.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Reniform.         -   Shape of petal.—Oval.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal arrangement.—4 petals fused in a single whorl.         -   Petal number.—4 petals.         -   Petal appearance.—Matte.         -   Petal texture.—Smooth, glabrous. -   Color:     -   -   Upper surface at first opening.—Near White RHS N155D.         -   Upper surface at maturity.—Near Violet RHS 84A.         -   Upper surface at fading.—Near Purple RHS 76B.         -   Under surface at first opening.—Near White RHS N155D.         -   Under surface at maturity.—Near Violet RHS 83B.         -   Under surface at fading.—Near Purple RHS 76B. -   Petaloids or other floral structures: Not observed -   Sepal:     -   -   Number.—4.         -   Sepal appearance.—4 sepals.         -   Sepal arrangement.—4 sepals in a single whorl.         -   Sepal length.—Approximately 2 mm.         -   Sepal width.—Approximately 1 mm.         -   Sepal shape.—Elliptic         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Apex shape.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Color.—Near Green RHS 138A. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 2-2.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 2 mm.         -   Color.—Near Yellow-green RHS 144A.         -   Strength.—Strong. -   Pedicel:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 1.2 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 1 mm.         -   Angle.—Approximately 80-90 degrees.         -   Strength.—Flexible, moderately strong.         -   Color.—Near Yellow-green RHS 144A. -   Reproductive organs: -   Number of pistils per flower: 1 -   Pistil length: Approximately 2 mm. -   Stigma shape: Rounded to broadly spreading -   Stigma color: Near Yellow-green RHS 151B -   Style color: Near Yellow-green RHS 144A -   Style length: Approximately 0.6 mm. -   Ovary color: Near Yellow-green RHS 144A -   Stamens quantity: 6 -   Stamen length: 1.5 mm -   Anther shape: Elliptic -   Anther size: 0.5 mm. -   Anther color: Near Yellow RHS 7A -   Pollen color: Near yellow RHS 7D -   Pollen quantity: Moderate -   Other characteristics: -   Disease resistance: Common to cultivar. -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance: Plants of the candidate     variety have been noted to have good tolerance at temperatures from     1° C. to 38 ° C. and also tolerate rainy conditions. -   Fruit/seed production: Color and Shape of Fruits and Seeds: The     fruits and seeds are elliptical and flat. The color of the mature     seed is near Grey-orange RHS N167A. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lobularia plant named ‘DLOBU24’ as herein illustrated and described. 